City of Richmond
Meet Chance and Other Magnificent Owls this Sunday
4 March 2010Meet Chance, a Great Horned Owl and ambassador for the Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, along with other owls at the Richmond Nature Park and learn what to do to help ensure the survival of these elusive birds. The public is invited to drop-in on Sunday, March 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to this informal event to view and photograph several owl species up close and to speak with the organization’s representatives.
This magnificent owl has been named Chance because he survived a harrowing accident that left him with a broken wing, head trauma and damage to his left eye. He cannot be returned to the wild and now has a new purpose in life: he visits schools and public gatherings to teach humans how to co-exist with wildlife.
The chain of events that lead to Chance’s injuries could likely have been avoided. Chance was hit by a car while feeding alongside a highway outside of Nelson, BC. Every year approximately 300 birds of prey are brought to Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society’s (O.W.L.) centre in Delta because many of them, like Chance, are attracted to the plentiful mice and voles at the side of highways. The rodents, in turn, are attracted to the highways by the plentiful food that humans throw from their car windows. As Ted Williams of O.W.L. explains, “We think that because it is biodegradable, it’s harmless. We don’t realize the impact all those apple cores and potato chips can have on wildlife.”
The Richmond Nature Park is located at 11851 Westminster Highway. Admission to the O.W.L. show is by donation and is suitable for all ages. For more information, call the Richmond Nature Park at 604-718-6188.
